Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal strengthened their top-four bid with a comfortable 2-0 win over West Brom on Thursday.
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The club confirmed that 59, 568 tickets had been sold although thousands of empty seats were visible in the 60,432-capacity arena.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger complained that criticism of his team was misplaced following their victory and said that stay-away supporters were not necessarily protesting.
I went to the Crystal Palace game at the weekend and it’s got so bad for fans like me that you can now even buy match tickets on the day of the game. “We give everything in every game”. I’m sick of going to watch Arsenal knowing we’re going to lose or draw.
“The early goal helped to focus on the way we played, rather than being anxious about the result, it was important and helped the team”. Yes you gave the Gunners the best years of their lives but it’s more than a decade since you brought real pride to the team. With this game a must win for the Gunners, Sunderland could surprise us in this match. “We have hard games and so do they”.
“It was very important for us to win”.
Additionally, Arsenal have only won two of their last eight road games in the EPL (D4-L2) and they have only won five of their last 14 league games home and away: a draw is a 3/1 shot.
Wenger said to Sky Sports: “We have regrets”.
The fans who did turn up on Thursday didn’t have to wait long to see Arsenal go in front. “That will be a tough battle, let’s prepare well, we have a good chance, but it’s far from done”.
Gareth McAuley did send a header against the crossbar in the first half for the visitors but Arsenal were untroubled and should have won by a bigger margin. “There are top teams who are behind us”. “We have been really frustrated with the way we have been playing but we have come back tonight… maybe it’s too little too late”.
“I’ve got (into) enough trouble this year talking about referees”, said the Welshman.
Fans are turning on the French boss in their droves, as his failures as a manager have truly shown themselves this season.
We’d forgive you if you had forgotten about Viviano – or never even knew about him in the first place – since the Italian never actually made a competitive appearance for the Gunners.
‘During the time he was out, I think we had quite a good record, but over the whole season normally we need him healthy.
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“It’s the first game I’ve managed on a Thursday night in England”, he added, “and I might just have got the preparation wrong as well”.
